Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh on June 13, 2024, met an Indian injured in a fire incident the previous day at the Jaber hospital in Kuwait.

In the aftermath of the incident on Wednesday, the Kuwaiti authorities have assured India of their “full support, including for medical care, early repatriation of mortal remains, and investigation of the incident,” Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said on Thursday, after a meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya in Kuwait city.

Mr.

Singh met Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, who is also the Minister of Defence and Interior, and other senior Kuwaiti officials, and conveyed India’s gratitude for their support.

He also visited Mubarak Al Kabeer hospital and other facilities where the injured Indians are undergoing treatment.

According to the Kuwaiti authorities, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah has announced that the authorities have identified 48 bodies, including 45 Indians and three Filipinos, adding that efforts are still underway to determine the identity of one remaining body.

At least 50 others were injured.

The Kuwaitis are conducting DNA tests on the bodies, and an Indian Air Force aircraft is on standby to fly back the mortal remains of the Indians.

Kuwait has also ordered the preparation of a military aircraft to help in repatriating the mortal remains of the Indians.

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al Jaber Al-Sabah has issued a directive to provide financial assistance to the families of the deceased, though the exact amount to be distributed has not been announced yet.

Mr.

Singh, accompanied by Joint Secretary Aseem R.

Mahajan, reached Kuwait on Thursday, hours after a deadly fire engulfed a multistorey building housing 196 migrants in the Al Ahmadi governorate in southern Kuwait, shining a spotlight on the poor living conditions of Indian workers in the Gulf region.

In a conversation with External Affairs Minister S.

Jaishankar soon afterwards, the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister promised that the incident would be investigated and that “responsibility will be fixed”.

“Urged the early repatriation of the mortal remains of those who lost their lives.

He emphasized that those injured were getting the requisite medical attention,” Mr.

Jaishankar had said about his telephonic conversation with Mr.

Al-Yahya.

“MoS conveyed his appreciation for the cooperation being extended by all concerned authorities of Kuwait,” the Embassy of India announced in a social media post.

The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reports that the Kuwaiti Minister assured that they are “doing everything necessary to determine the circumstances and causes of the horrific incident and that justice will take its course with transparency and integrity.

” Kuwait’s public prosecutor has launched an investigation into the incident, with some reports indicating that the fire was caused by a gas leak from the building’s ground floor.

The Kuwait Fire Department’s head of investigations Colonel Sayed Al-Mousawi said his team had found that inflammable materials were used as partitions between apartments and also between rooms, which had caused the black smoke.

Sheikh Fahad is heading an inspection campaign of illegal properties in many areas in Kuwait, according to the authorities.

“As of Thursday, the Municipality and its teams will respond to all violations at all apartment buildings without prior warning,” the Deputy Prime Minister told reporters while inspecting the fire site.

The owner of the affected building will be kept in custody until investigations into the causes of the fire are over, he added.